THE MARSI WERE AN ANCIENT CENTRAL ITALIAN TRIBE WHO TRACED THEIR LINEAGE FROM" MARSUS, "THE SON OF "CIRCE". THEIR CHIEF DEITY WAS HIS DAUGHTER, "ANGITIA," THEIR PRIMARY GODDESS WAS HIS DAUGHTER. SHE A SNAKE CHARMING SORCERESS WHO LEARNED HER CRAFT DIRECTLY FROM "CIRCE". SHE WAS A SISTER OF "MEDE"A AND "CIRCE". "ANGITIA" RULED OVER HEALING AND WITCHCRAFT. AND WAS RENOWNED FOR HER VERBAL AND HERBAL CHARMS.

"ANGITIA" HAD A TEMPLE AND A SACRED GROVE ON THE SHORES OF "LAKE FUCINO". THE MARSI HONORED HER BY DRAPING HER STATUE WITH LIVE SNAKES AS A SYMBOL OF HEALING AND CARRYING HER TO THE SHORES OF THE LAKE. IN RETURN, "ANGITIA" WOULD PROTECT AND HEAL HER WORSHIPPERS, ALSO TEACHING THEM HOW TO CHARM SNAKES, CURE SNAKEBITES, AND USE HERBS FOR HEALING.

WHEN THE ROMANS CONQUERED THE MARSI, CHRISTIAN AUTHORITIES BANISHED ALL PAGAN RELIGIONS AND WORSHIP OF "ANGITIA" WAS SUPPRESSED. HOWEVER, SOME OF HER RITUALS DID SURVIVE AND ARE NOW DEDICATED TO SAN DOMENICO, THE SAINT NOW WORSHIPPED IN THE TOWNS THAT WERE ONCE ASSOCIATED WITH THE MARSI.

Frigga is the All-Mother, wife of Odin. She is the goddess of the home, family, fertility, love, motherhood, domestic affairs and ease of transition (dying.)

Frigga is as powerful as Odin and is the only god/goddess allowed to sit in Odin's high seat Hlidskjalf when he is not there. She can look out over the whole universe from there. There is nothing she does not know. But she is called the silent Goddess for she does not speak of what she knows.

* Frigga's name means LOVE. * She lives in Fensalir which means "Marsh Halls. * Frigga's children are Thor, Balder and Hodar. * Her stepchildren are Heimdal, Tyr, Vidan and Skljoldr. * Her magical tool is the distaff. * Her animal totem is the goose.

Frigga's Handmaidens are:

The constellation Orion's Belt is known as Frigga's Distaff. The rotating stars at night are her spinning wheel. It is said that Frigga uses her spinning wheel to weave the clouds. She also sits at her spindle weaving the destinies of men and gods alike at the beginning of each new year.

If you wish the ask Frigga about your destiny, first build a rapport with her and her Berkana rune. She may tell you. But be careful. She knows all the destinies of men, women and gods. She knew the destiny of her son Balder. She knew he would die, and try as she would, with all her powers, she could not stop it. Do you really want to know your destiny? Ask her.

Frigg was a goddess associated with married women. She was called up by women to assist in giving birth to children, and Scandinavians used the plant Lady's Bedstraw (Galium verum) as a sedative, they called it Frigg's grass).

In Scandinavia the blessing of Frigga is still invoked for birthing women with a white candle, with the Berkana Rune etched in its side. The candle is used as a charm to ensure a safe delivery.

Source: Ellis Peterson

DILGA is the Australian Aboriginal Goddess of fertility. Two of her sons, the Bagadjimbiri, were creator Gods who were born as dingos. When they took human form, they got into an argument with Ngariman, a cat-man. He found their laughter particularly irritating, and lured the brothers to his underground cave, where he killed them. Dilga, hearing of the murders, used her breast milk to form a stream that ran down to Ngariman's cave and drowned him. The Bagadjimbiri were revived by Dilga's milk. They turned into clouds and went to live in the sky.

"MANASA "IS THE HINDU SERPENT GODDESS. HER NAME DERIVES FROM "MANAS, "A POWERFUL WORD THAT MEANS "OF THE MIND. "HER NAME MEANS "INTENTION." SHE IS A VERY POWERFUL GODDESS WHO IS WORSHIPPED THROUGHOUT INDIA. SHE IS THE SISTER OF VASUKI, THE KING OF THE SNAKES. HER WORSHIPPERS ARE DEVOTED TO HER AND BELIEVE THAT SHE IS A PRIMEVAL FORM OF THE GREAT GODDESS HERSELF. SHE IS BELIEVED TO PROTECT HER PEOPLE FROM SNAKEBITES, BUT HAS ALSO BEEN KNOWN TO CURE DISEASE AND TO BRING WEALTH.

ONE OF HER BEST KNOWN MYTH INVOLVES THE MISFORTUNES THAT MANASA INFLICTS UPON A MAN WHO REFUSES TO WORSHIP HER. FIRST, SHE DESTROYS HIS GARDEN AND THEN SLAYS SIX OF HIS SONS WHILE SINKING THE SHIPS THAT CARRY HIS WEALTH. FINALLY, SHE KILLS HIS LAST SON WITH THE BITE OF A POISONOUS SNAKE. AT THE URGE OF HIS WIFE, HE OFFERS MANASA A PEACE OFFERING...A FLOWER...AND AGREES TO WORSHIP HER AS A GODDESS, SHE ACCEPTS HIS TOKENS AND RESTORES HIS SONS AND HIS WEALTH. SHE HAS BEEN WORSHIPPED AS A GODDESS EVER SINCE. EVER SINCE.

MANASA IS WORSHIPPED DURING THE RAINY SEASON, THE TIME OF THE MONSOONS OF EARLY AUGUST, THE RAIN FORCES THE SNAKES FROM THEIR LAIRS. IT IS A TIME OF COMMUNAL CELEBRATION; THE VILLAGERS GATHER CLAY POTS, WOVEN BASKETS, GARLANDS, AND FOOD OFFERINGS OF MELONS, BANANAS, AND VARIOUS SWEETS. SNAKE CHARMERS BRING COBRAS, VIPERS, AND PYTHONS AND PERFORM WITH THE POISONOUS SNAKES WHILE CHANTING HYMNS PRAISING HER. SOME PARTICIPANTS EVEN ENTER INTO TRANCES.

"JULUNGGUL" is the Austrialian Goddess of Initiation....the great goddess of the Aborigines. She is depicted as a rainbow serpent goddess who oversaw the maturation and initiation of boys into manhood, giving them the strength and wisdom to overcome the trials of puberty. At initiation, the young boys were symbolically swallowed and then spit out as men.

AS THE GREAT RAINBOW SERPENT OF THE DREAMTIME, SHE HOLDS THE POWERS OF REBIRTH AND IMMORTALITY...RAIN AND WATER. SHE FLOWS INTO PEOPLE'S LIVES, PROVIDING THEM WITH SACRED DREAMS AND THE EXPERIENCES THEY NEED FOR POSITIVE GROWTH. IT IS JULUNGGUL WHO CREATED ALL THE RIVERS OF THE LAND....AND THEN WENT TO LIVE IN THE BOTTOM OF THE DEEPEST WATERHOLE. SHE IS EMBODIED IN THE PEARLS, CRYSTALS, THE OCEAN, WATERFALLS, AND THE DEEP POOLS WHERE SHE LIVES. ACCORDING TO THE MYTH, ONE DAY THE WAWALAG SISTERS (TWO MYTHOLOGICAL SISTERS WHO CIVILIZED AUSTRALIA) CAME TO CAMP BY HER WATERHOLE, AND ONE OF THEM ACCIDENTALLY DRIPPED SOME OF HER MENSTRUAL BLOOD INTO THE WATER. JULUNGGUL REARED UP OUT OF THE DEPTHS WITH WATER FALLING FROM HER BODY AS RAIN. SHE SWALLOWED THE SISTERS, BUT LATER SPIT THEM BACK OUT.

Nyx is a primal goddess who comes from the earliest times in Greek mythology and is a pivotal member of the creation myth of the theology of the Orphis-Dionysic mysteries. In the beginning there was chaos, and out of this chaos the first God was born. According to the myth, she was the daughter of Progonus, the first God; she was born without a mother, and the moment Nyx was born, she ruled with her father until he made her the supreme ruler of heaven and earth. Later, she gave up her rulership to her son, Uranus.

Nyx was sometimes seen as a winged Goddess. Her wings were dark and shadowy, and she was called "Swift Night". Later, she became the personification of the night and was its Goddess. She was revered for Her ocular powers, and Her realm was in a cave in the far was. She was portrayed as a young women dressed in a star covered gown. Her attribute is a reversed torch.

She is associated with the night; the color black; eggs and birth. Nyx is a good Goddess for you to call forth when you need to reclaim your awareness of your original essential nature.

"BLACK-WINGED NIGHT,"INTO THE BOSOM OF THE REBUS DARK AND DEEP,"LAID A WIND-BORN EGG, AND AS THE SEASONS ROLLED"FOR SPRANG LOVE, THE LONGED FOR,"SHING WITH WINGS OF GOLD."--ARISTOPHANES

"JURATA" (YOO-RAH-TUH) IS THE BEAUTIFUL LITHUANIAN SEA GODDESS, THE GODDESS OF THE BALTIC; HER NAME MEANS "SEA." SHE LIVES UNDER THE SEA IN A SPLENDID PALACE AT THE BOTTOM OF THE BALTIC WHICH IS MADE OF AMBER...POLISHED TO LOOK LIKE GOLD. SHE IS SAID TO HAVE THE APPEAR TO OTHERS AS A MERMAID.

LEGEND HAS IT THAT THE MIGHTY GOD OF THUNDER, PIORUN, FELL IN LOVE WITH HER BEAUTY, BUT IT SEEMS THAT JURATA ONLY HAD EYES FOR A HANDSOME YOUNG FISHERMAN. EVERY NIGHT SHE SWAM TO THE SHORE TO MEET HER SWEETHEART. AND SO IT WAS THAT IN A JEALOUS RAGE, THE GOD OF THUNDER CAUSED A GREAT LIGHTNING STORM, AND THROWING DOWN A THUNDERBOLTS, HE SHATTERED JURATA'S CASTLE...KILLING JURATA AND ALL OF HER COURTIERS. THE YOUNG FISHERMAN WAS CHAINED TO THE BOTTOM OF THE SEA WHERE HE DROWNED.

AND IT HAS BEEN SAID THAT, TO THIS DAY, YOU CAN HEAR THE YOUNG FISHERMAN'S MOURNFUL CRIES ANY TIME THERE IS A LIGHTNING STORM ON THE BALTIC...AND THE AMBER WHICH IS CAST ASHORE BY THE WAVES OF THE BALTIC ARE THE BROKEN FRAGMENTS OF JURATA'S CASTLE.

In Aztec mythology, Mictlan was the lowest (ninth) level of the underworld, located far to the north. Except for warriors who died in battle, people who died when hit by lightning and women who died in childbirth, people went to Mictlan after death. The journey was difficult and took four years, but the dead were aided by the psychopomp, Xolotl. The king of Mictlan was Mictlantecuhtli. The queen was Mictecacihuatl. Other deities in Mictlan included Ciucoatl (who commanded Mictlan spirits called Cihuateteo), Acolmiztli, Chalmecacihuilt, Chalmecatl and Acolnahuacatl.

"Patroness of Erotic Love" "Goddess of the Flowering Earth". Celebrated during the "Farewell to the Flowers" festival signifying the coming of frost. This was a solemn festival. People would make merry and smell flowers knowing they were about to dry up and wither for the season. A feast in honor of the flowers would occur.

Xochiquetzal was also the divinity of painters, embroiders, weavers, silversmiths and sculptors.

The image of this deity was of wood in the shape of a young woman. A gold ornament was placed over her mouth and a crown of red leather in the form of a braid was placed on her head. Green bright feathered decorated this headband in the shape of horns.

She was dressed in a blue tunic adorned with woven flowers made from delicate feather work. Her arms were open as in the form of a woman dancing. Her idol was placed on a tall alter and her attendants were the same as those who tended Huitzilopochtli as her temple was small and had no specially assigned priests. This is one of the exceptions the Aztec made and were fond of sacrificing virgins to this goddess. The victim's legs were crossed after cutting out their hearts and then sent rolling down the steps of the temple. At the foot of the temple special priests took the bodies of the sacrificed virgins to the Ayauhcalli, "the house of the mist", which was a sort of cellar built especially for this sacrifice, where the bodies were kept.

A woman in the guise of Xochiquetzal was ritually killed and flayed and a priest wearing her skin would sit at the foot of the temple while area craftsmen dressed as monkeys, ocelots, dogs, coyotes, and jaguars would dance about her while she pretended to weave cloth. Each of the dancing craftsmen would carry in their hands a symbol of their craft, a painter his brush, etc.

Also refereed to as Precious Feather Flower-Goddess of Song, Dance, and Sexual Pleasure. Patron of prostitutes. Goddess of Artistry and Delight. In Duality she was also Macuilxochitl, a male representation.

God associated with maize and vegetation. Goddess of flowers, grains, and patroness of weavers. God of sculptors and embroiders. Quail and incense were often offered to this god and depending on the devotion fasting of from 20 - 80 days was common. People who were born on One Flower or Seven Flower were pre-destined to become good at these crafts and worship this god. Said to have afflicted those who displeased her with boils.

in legend she was taken to the underworld by Xolotl and ravaged. She also is said to have eaten forbidden fruit from an aphrodisiac tree and became the first female to submit to sexual temptation. She was expelled from paradise and the tree split into two. She transformed into Ixnextli, "Ashes in Eyes", a metaphor for being blinded by crying. Her pain at not being able to look into the sky that she once lived in is why men can not look directly into the sun.

Goddess of flowers and romantic love depicted with flowers in her head-dress and as a young married woman with a wrap around skirt and a Quechquimitl, or highly decorated type of poncho. Xochiquetzal's flower was the marigold. Today in early November Mexico celebrates the day of the dead, or "All Souls", in which the ground is strewn with marigolds, combining old and new customs. She may have been worshipped under the name Tonacacihuatl, meaning "Sustenance-Woman". Worshipped during the festivals of Matlalcueyeh, Huei Pachtli, and Macuilxochiquetzal.

Kukulkan ("Plumed Serpent", "Feathered Serpent") is the name of a Maya snake deity that also serves to designate historical persons. The depiction of the feathered serpent deity is present in other cultures of Mesoamerica. Kukulkan is closely related to the god Q'uq'umatz of the K'iche' Maya and to Quetzalcoatl of the Aztecs. Little is known of the mythology of this pre-Columbian deity. Although heavily Mexicanised, Kukulkan has his origins among the Maya of the Classic Period, when he was known as Waxaklahun Ubah Kan, the War Serpent, and he has been identified as the Postclassic version of the Vision Serpent of Classic Maya art. The cult of Kukulkan/Quetzalcoatl was the first Mesoamerican religion to transcend the old Classic Period linguistic and ethnic divisions. This cult facilitated communication and peaceful trade among peoples of many different social and ethnic backgrounds. Although the cult was originally centred on the ancient city of Chich'en Itz'a in the modern Mexican state of Yucat'an, it spread as far as the Guatemalan highlands. In Yucat'an, references to the deity Kukulkan are confused by references to a named individual who bore the name of the god. Because of this, the distinction between the two has become blurred. This individual appears to have been a ruler or priest at Chichen Itza, who first appeared around the 10th century. Although Kukulkan was mentioned as a historical person by Maya writers of the 16th century, the earlier 9th century texts at Chichen Itza never identified him as human and artistic representations depicted him as a Vision Serpent entwined around the figures of nobles. At Chichen Itza, Kukulkan is also depicted presiding over sacrifice scenes. Sizeable temples to Kukulkan are found at archaeological sites throughout the north of the Yucat'an Peninsula, such as Chichen Itza, Uxmal and Mayapan.

Teraphim is a Hebrew word from the Bible, found only in the plural, of uncertain etymology. Despite being plural, Teraphim is thought to refer to singular objects, using the great plural of Hebrew which implies magnificence not plurality (cf. Elohim for El). The word Teraphim is explained in Classical Rabbinical Literature as meaning disgraceful things (dismissed by modern etymologists), and in many English translations of the Bible it is translated as idols, or household god(s), though its exact meaning is more specific than this, but unknown precisely.

Lord Vishnu in his incarnation as Lord Varaha,has lifted the earth which was hidden by the powerfull Demon Hiranyaksha in the ocean,and killed the Demon Hiranyaksha.

Hiranyakshan and Hiranyakashipan r brothers,performed mystic meditation,tapas and obtained boons from Lord Brahma.Demon Hiranyaksha with his pride of the Boon from Lord Brahma,has shown his power on devas,and has hidden the bhu-mandala in to the ocean.Lord Vishnu has incarnated as Lord Varaha,to save the bhu-mandala,and has evolved from the nostril of Lord Brahma with a small size,has began to grow to a very large size,and went into the depth of the ocean,lifted the bhu-mandala,with his tusks,and Lord Varaha with a great anger,has against to fight with Demon Hiranyaksha,as he was saying to leave the earth which was hidden by him.Lord Varaha with his Sudarshana Chakra,has destroyed all the weapons of Demon Hiranyakshan,and killed the demon.

Haddad was a northwest Semitic storm and rain god, cognate in name and origin with the Akkadian god Adad. Hadad was often called simply Ba'al (Lord), but this title was also used for other gods. Hadad was equated with the Anatolian storm-god Teshub and other storm gods of the region, for which reason he is sometimes called Teshub-Hadad, Baal-Hadad or Baal-Hadad-Yahweh. He was further associated with the Egyptian god Set, and the Greek god Zeus, as Jupiter Dolichenus.

"MAZU" (MOTHER) IS THE CHINESE MOTHER GODDESS OF THE SEA. AS THE PROTECTOR GODDESS OF FISHERMEN, SHE IS A BEAUTIFUL GODDESS, AND PERHAPS ONE OF THE MOST IMPORTANT FOLK DEITIES IN TAIWAN; MANY SEAFARERS IN CHINA PLACED THEIR TRUST IN THE ASSURANCE OF SAFETY PROVIDED BY THIS GODDESS. LEGEND HAS IT THAT SHE ALWAYS HELPED PEOPLE THROUGH HARDSHIPS AND, IN PARTICULAR, RESCUES FISHERMEN WHEN THEY FACE CRISIS AT SEA.

"MAZU'S" STORY ILLUSTRATES ONE OF THE IMPORTANT ASPECTS OF THE CHINESE PANTHEON AND THE HUMAN ORIGIN OF THEIR GODS. SHE BEGAN AS A MORTAL BEING WHO ACTUALLY LIVED DURING THE TENTH CENTURY AS A PIOUS YOUNG WOMAN WHO, AT THE AGE OF 28, SACRIFICED HER OWN LIFE TO SAVE HER FATHER AND ALL BUT ONE OF HER BROTHERS FROM DROWNING. TRADITION HAS IT THAT SHE WENT INTO A TRANCE, AND AND SAW HER FAMILY DROWNING AT SEA, AND MIRACULOUSLY, SEPARATED FROM HER SOUL TO SAVE THEM. AFTER HER DEATH, LOCAL BOATS BEGAN TO CARRY AN IMAGE OF HER FOR PROTECTION AT SEA, AND AFTER TWO CENTURIES OF THE VENERATION, SHE WAS SUBSEQUENTLY PROMOTED INTO THE CELESTIAL HIERARCHY. EVENTUALLY, IN THE 17TH CENTURY, SHE BECAME THE "EMPRESS OF HEAVEN."

IN TAIWAN, SHE IS OFTEN CONSIDERED THE PATRON GODDESS OF THE ISLAND, AND HER TEMPLES ARE FOUND IN ALMOST EVERY MAJOR CITY OR TOWN. IN SHANGHAI, VISITORS TO HER TEMPLE OFFER FLOWERS AND INCENSE AND GIFTS OF MONEY. IN SOME TEMPLES SHE IS CALLED "GREAT AUNTIE" OR "GRANDMOTHER. "SHE CONTINUES TO BE WORSHIPPED IN CHINA TODAY.

DIANA is the Roman Goddess of nature, fertility, hunting, crossroads, and the moon. She was originally worshipped by the Latins and Sabines as a Goddess of the moon and of forests; her worship was brought to Rome by the Etruscan King Servius Tullius in the sixth century BCE. He built a temple to her on the Aventine Hill, and she was worshipped mainly by the plebeians and the slaves. The two main centers of her worship were at Aricia in Latium and in the forests of Mount Tifata near Capua. Here, she was called upon by women to bless them with fertility and easy childbirths. Diana's consort as Goddess of the woods was Virbius, God of the woods.

As Diana came to be associated with the Greek Goddess Artemis, her roles in fertility and childbirth were lessened. Her image was that of a huntress with her bow and arrow and a crescent moon on her brow, and she was often accompanied by dogs, who were sacred to Artemis. She became known as the daughter of Jupiter and Latona, corresponding to Artemis's parents, Zeus and Leto. Diana was also seen as a triple Goddess, as DIANA TRIVIA (of the three ways). This epithet led to an association with death, as a three-way path was often seen as the gateway to the underworld.

Diana's name comes from the Indo-European root di-, which means "shining" or "light." Her many epithets include:

DIANA LUCINA (Goddess of childbirth)

DIANA AVENTINENSIS (of the Aventine)

DIANA CAELISTIS (celestial)

DIANA NEMORENSIS (of the woods)

DIANA OMNIVAGA (wandering one)

DIANA OPIFERA (aid bringer)

DIANA VENATRIX (huntress and mistress of wild animals)

DIANA TIFATINA (of the town of Tifata)

DIANA LUCIFERA (bringer of light)

DIANA LATONIA (from her mother, Latona)

DIANA ORTYGIA (born on the island or Ortygia, the Roman name for Delos where Artemis was born)

"NU-KUA "IS THE ANCIENT CHINESE GODDESS OF CREATION, THE DIVINE FOREMOTHER OF HUMANS. SHE IS ONE OF THE OLDEST AND MOST POWERFUL OF THE FEMALE DEITIES FROM ONE OF THE EARTH'S OLDEST CIVILIZATIONS. SHE IS DEPICTED AS A BEAUTIFUL CREATURE, HALF-WOMAN, HALF-DRAGON...WHO WANDERS THE EARTH. IT IS SHE WHO CREATED ORDER FROM THE PRIMORDIAL CHAOS OF THE UNIVERSE, SETTLING THE LAND, THE SEA, AND THE SKY INTO PLACE. THE FOLLOWING MYTH TELLS THE STORY OF HOW THE WORLD BEGAN.

IN THE BEGINNING OF TIME, THERE WAS NOTHING BUT A COSMIC EGG WHICH WAS FORMED OF CHAOS. A GIANT NAMED P'AN KUN WAS FORMED FROM THE CHAOS; HE SLEPT FOR 18,000 YEARS, AND WHEN HE AWAKENED, THE EGG CRACKED, AND DARKNESS POURED OUT...ALONG WITH THE LIGHT WHICH HAD BEEN HIDDEN WITHIN THE CHAOS. THE DARKNESS FELL TO CREATE THE EARTH, WHILE THE LIGHT FRAGMENTS JOINED TOGETHER AND CREATED THE HEAVENS (YIN AND YANG). HOWEVER, P'AN KUN FEARED THAT CHAOS MIGHT RETURN IF THE LIGHT FELL INTO THE DARK BELOW, HE MADE IT HIS MISSION TO KEEP THE TWO SEPARATED UNTIL HE WAS SURE IT WAS SAFE.

THOUSANDS OF YEARS PASSED BY; EVENTUALLY, P'AN KU SUNK DOWN INTO THE EARTH IN EXHAUSTION AND DIED. HIS EXPIRED BREATH BECAME WIND AND CLOUDS WHILE HIS BODY AND HIS LIMBS FORMED THE MOUNTAINS AND HILLS. HIS BLOOD BEGAN TO FLOW AS THE STREAMS AND THE RIVERS. HIS HAIR TOOK ROOT BECAME THE VEGETATION; HIS TEETH BECAME THE MINERALS AND THE PRECIOUS GEMS.

IT WAS THEN THAT N"u-KUA EMERGED FROM THE HEAVENS AND ROAMED THE EARTH AND WAS AWED BY ALL OF ITS BEAUTY, BUT THE WORLD WAS DEVOID OF CREATURES, AND SHE HAD NO ONE BUT HERSELF TO ENJOY IT. SO, SHE DECIDED THAT SHE WOULD CREATE HUMANS SO P'AN KU'S SACRIFICE WOULD NOT BE IN VAIN. SHE SCOOPED UP THE YELLOW CLAY AND LOVINGLY MADE SCORES OF MEN AND WOMEN, LINING THEM UP IN FRONT OF HER, BUT AS PERFECT AS HER CREATIONS APPEARED, THEY HAD NO LIFE. THERE WERE MERE STATUES. SHE PICKED THEM UP, AND ONE BY ONE, SHE BREATHED HER DIVINE BREATH INTO THEIR LIFELESS BODIES. AT FIRST, SHE TOOK GREAT PRIDE IN MOLDING THEM, BUT AFTER AWHILE, IT BECAME SO TEDIOUS THAT SHE BEGAN DIPPING A ROPE SLIP INTO THE CLAY, THEN SHAKING IT SO THAT DROPS SPLATTERED TO THE GROUND. THUS, TWO TYPES OF HUMANS WERE BORN. FROM THE MOLDED FIGURES CAME THE NOBLES; FROM THE CLAY DROPS, THE PEASANTS WERE BORN.

ACCORDING TO LEGEND, CORN WAS THE FOOD OF THE GODS WHO CREATED THE EARTH, AND STORIES OF THE "CORN MOTHER" AND OTHER HARVEST GODDESSES ARE TOLD BY MANY CULTURES THROUGHOUT THE WORLD, AND BELIEFS AND CUSTOMS VARIED GREATLY FROM PLACE TO PLACE IN THE EUROPEAN COUNTRIES AND AMONG THE AGRICULTURAL TRIBES IN NORTH AMERICA. THE GREEK GODDESS "DEMETER" WAS A "CORN MOTHER," AS WAS THE ROMAN GODDESS, "CERES." IN SOME PLACES A "CORN MAIDEN" OR "CORN CHILD" REPLACED THE "CORN MOTHER." SHE IS A SYMBOL OF THE GREAT GODDESS WHO BIRTHS THE FERTILE FIELD. SHE GAVE LIFE AND IS SAID TO BE RESPONSIBLE FOR THE ORIGIN OF MAIZE. HER SPIRIT WAS SAID TO DWELL IN THE LAST SHEAF OF GRAIN STANDING IN THE FIELD.

THE ARCHETYPE OF THE "CORN MOTHER" PLAYS AN IMPORTANT PART IN HARVEST CUSTOMS ALL OVER THE WORLD. IT IS ESPECIALLY POPULAR IN THE FOLKLORE OF EUROPEAN COUNTRIES. IN NORTHERN EUROPE, PEOPLE HONORED THE CHANGING SEASONS BY CREATING STRAW FIGURES OF THE "CORN MAIDEN" AND BURNING THEM. THE AUSTRIANS ALSO HAD A "CORN MOTHER" DOLL FASHIONED FROM THE LAST SHEAF OF GRAIN CUT IN THE FIELD AND THEN BROUGHT HOME TO THE VILLAGE IN THE LAST WAGON.

CORN WAS A STAPLE IN THE DIET OF MANY NATIVE AMERICAN PEOPLES, SO THE STORY OF ITS ORIGINS IS ONE OF THEIR MOST SACRED... FOOD AND ECONOMY ARE ONE, SO "CORN MOTHER" IS NOT SIMPLY THE SOURCE OF FOOD. SHE HAD MANY ROLES. SHE WAS NOT JUST AS A BRINGER OF CORN AND AGRICULTURAL FERTILITY, BUT WAS ALSO REVERED AS A CREATOR, LEADER OF TRIBAL MIGRATIONS, PROTECTOR, HEALER, AND CULTURE-BRINGER/TEACHER. THEY PRAYED TO THE "CORN MOTHER" AND TOLD STORIES OF THE BIRTH OF THE WORLD THROUGH SCATTERED CORN SEEDS.

"NATIVE AMERICAN PRAYER OF THANKSGIVING NOW THAT I AM ABOUT TO EAT, O GREAT SPIRIT, GIVE MY THANKS TO THE BEASTS AND BIRDS WHOM YOU HAVE PROVIDED FOR MY HUNGER. PRAY DELIVER MY SORROW THAT LIVING THINGS MUST MAKE A SACRIFICE FOR MY COMFORT AND WELL-BEING. LET THE FEATHER OF CORN SPRING UP IN ITS TIME AND LET IT NOT WITHER BUT MAKE FULL GRAINS FOR THE FIRES OF OUR COOKING POTS, NOW THAT I AM ABOUT TO EAT. "

Emesh is a Sumerian god of vegetation. He was created, alongside the god Enten, at the wish of Enlil to take responsibility on earth for woods, fields, sheep folds, and stables. He is identified with the abundance of the earth and with summer.

Vishvakarma is the Hindu presiding deity of all craftsmen and architects. He is believed by Hindus to be the "Principal Universal Architect", the architect who fabricated and designed the divine architecture of the Universe, the Lord of Creation.

Ningal (Great Lady) was a Sumarian goddess; She was the first beloved daughter of god Enki, and She was the wife of the moon god, Nanna. They say She was very young and pretty and possessed the gift of being able decipher the language of the unknown...that which is unveiled in dreams and legends. She is the goddess of dream interpretation, insight, and divination. She reveals the meaning of dreams and oracular phrases. Ningal is a very ancient goddess who dates back to South Mesopotamia and the first settlements that were ever built. She was worshipped at Ur during the period of the Third Dynasty, and the kings built Her a temple and dedicated statues to Her. She was also a love diety, a goddess of water and fertility; Her symbol is a vessel of water with a fish in it...which also signifies the womb. In the tale, She evolves from the maiden bride of the Moon god to the mother of Inanna, and embraces Her role of Mother by teaching Her daughter, everything She knows about marriage, sexuality, and love in "THE BRIDAL SONGS"."

In my opinion, the story of Ningal and Nanna should be considered one of the great love stories of the distant past. As the tale is told, it was the young maiden, Ningal who first fell in love with Nanna when She saw him one evening soaring across the night skies. She sought him out, and the story goes that when the young god first laid eyes on Her, he wanted Her and asked Her to meet him by the reeds...planning to make wild, passionate love. Now, Ningal is young and a bit on the shy side, but She a finally agrees meet Nanna by the marshes where they make wild love for two weeks. Then, one night, on the eve of the Dark Moon, Nanna tells Her he has to go away for two days and says good bye, promising his return to Her loving arms. However, Nanna is unable to be away from Her and he comes to Her in disguise, begging Her for shelter, and when She opens the door, he pleads with Her to come to the marshes with him.

But, Ningal is no longer that naive young maiden and instead has become an assertive young woman. This time She sets Her boundaries with Nanna. She informs him that She will go with him...ONLY if he complies with a set of conditons which involve the frutifulness of the land,of the wild and domestic animals. Nanna concedes to Her wishes and does as He has been asked, acknowledging Ningal as his true consort and beloved. And true to Her word, Ningal becomes his bride. This myth shows that love is very much about the surrender of the self,the opening up to each other

It was really difficult to find much research on these two great deities. In the famous "LAMENTATION OVER TH"E DESTRUCTION OF UR" we learn of Ningal's sad fate as Her beloved city is destroyed.

"I MOURNED THE DAY OF THE STORM, FATED FOR ME""MY BURDEN PREDESTINED FOR ME AS A GODDESS""THE CAUSE OF MY TEARS""I COULD NOT FLEE THE CRUEL VIOLENCE OF THAT DAY""ITS FURY WAS GREATER THAN ALL THE JOYS OF MY LIFE""THE LAND OF UR IS FILLED WITH SORROW""SHOULD I SCREAM FOR THE LIFE OF MY CALF,""CRY OUT FOR ITS RELEASE?"

Ningal's story confronts us with the great divide between the Goddess and the patriarchal consciousness. In Genesis we read "UR WAS AN EVIL AND SINFUL CITY AS CAN BE SEEN IN THE WORSHIP PRACTICES OF THE MOON GODDESS, NINGAL. EVERY FEMALE IN THE CITY AT SOMETIME IN HER LIFE WOULD HAVE TO TAKE HER TURN IN SERVING AS A PRIESTESS PROSTITUTE OF THE TEMPLE. But, was Ningal's tale one of an evil seductress or a beautiful tale of love? I prefer to believe in love.

Saturn, having been warned by his parents that one of his own children would dethrone him, devoured each child at birth. At last Rhea, his wife, in order to save Jupiter, her sixth child, substituted for him a rock enveloped in swaddling clothes—which Saturn, ignorant of the deception practiced upon him, immediately swallowed. Jupiter was concealed on the island of Crete until he attained manhood, when he forced his father to disgorge the five children he had eaten. The stone swallowed by Saturn in lieu of his youngest son was placed by Jupiter at Delphi, where it was held in great veneration and was daily anointed.

NINSUN is the Sumerian Goddess of dreams and cows. Married to King Lugalbanda, she is the mother of the hero Gilgamesh, who was said to be two-thirds divine (from his Goddess mother) and one-third human (from his mortal father). She is also the mother of Dumuzi by the God Enki. Ninsun assists Gilgamesh by interpreting his dreams for him, and she also adopts his companion, Enkidu, as her own son. Epithets for Ninsun, mostly from The Epic of Gilgamesh, include "AUGUST COW", "LADY WILD COW", "WILD COW OF THE ENCLOSURE", and "THE GREAT QUEEN". Her name is also seen as NINSUNA and RIMAT-NINSUN.

V"oLUSP'a is the Norse Goddess of wisdom and prophecy. She is the seer or v"olva who tells Odin the story of how the world was created, and how it would come to its end. She is not named in the poem, and subsequent tellings have given her the name of her work, which means "the v"olva's prophecy."

BECUMA IS THE IRISH GODDESS OF THE "MAGIC BOAT", OF HEAVEN AND HELL; SHE IS THE GODDESS OF BANISHMENT. BACUMA'S TALE IS ONE OF MANY TRIALS AND HER SURVIVAL. BACUMA ORIGINALLY CAME FROM THE LAND OF THE FAERY. IT SEEMS THAT SHE WAS MARRIED TO A CELEBRATED TUATHA, BUT COMMITTED ADULTERY WITH GAIAR, A SON OF MANANN MAC LIR. SHE HAD FALLEN IN LOVE WITH HIM AND CHOSE TO LEAVE HER HUSBAND; BUT, IN THE FAERY WORLD, THIS SORT OF 'WANTON' BEHAVIOR WAS UNACCEPTABLE. SHE BECAME AN OUTCAST AMONG HER PEOPLE. AND EVENTUALLY, BACUMA WAS STRIPPED OF MOST OF HER POWERS AND BANISHED TO LIVE WITHIN THE LAND OF THE MORTALS.

BACUMA WAS A VERY BEAUTIFUL MAIDEN, AND IT WASN'T LONG BEFORE SHE CAUGHT THE EYE OF THE HIGH KING OF TARA, "CONN OF THE HUNDRED BATTLES". SOON, THE PAIR WAS WED, BUT, THINGS DID NOT GO SMOOTHLY. SHE REALLY WANTED TO BE WITH HIS SON, ART, BUT CONN WAS THE KING SO SHE CHOSE HIM. SOON THEREAFTER, THE LAND OF IRELAND BECOMES DESOLATE, DEVOID OF FOOD AND MILK...AND ALL BECAUSE CONN HAS CHOSEN TO MARRY AN UNWORTHY WOMAN. NOW, CONN LOVE BECUMA AND RATHER THAN GIVE HER UP, HE CHOOSES TO EXILE ART INSTEAD. HOWEVER, WHEN CONN CONSULTS HIS DRUIDS, THEY TELL HIM WHAT IS REALLY AT THE BOTTOM OF HIS PROBLEM, AND BECUMA, THE 'SINFUL WOMAN' IS ONCE AGAIN DRIVEN FROM HER HOME. SHE NOW RESIDES IN THE OTHERWORLD.

A-HA MANA is the Hopi Kachina of the Powamu or bean dance. She is one of the many Kachina Manas, or female spirits, who participate in the ritual ceremonies of the Hopi. A-ha Mana accompanies A-ha, a male Kachina, to the bean dance at the Second Mesa.

ACCORDING TO THE BARANSAMA PEOPLES, ROMI KUMU THE CREATOR OF THE EARTH AND EVERYTHING IN IT. SHE IS THE RULER OF THE TREES, OF THE NIGHT, OF EARTH, OF AIR, AND THE MOTHER OF ALL PEOPLE. SHE WAS A FEMALE SHAMAN WHO MADE A GREAT GRILL OUT OF CLAY AND PLACED IT IN THE MOUNTAINS; IT BECAME THE SKY. THEN, SHE OPENED THE WATER DOOR TO THE SKY AND LET WATER COME GUSHING ONTO THE EARTH...AFTER WHICH, SHE CREATED ALL OF THE CREATURES.

NOW, AS THE TALE GOES, ROMI KUMU HAD IN HER POSITION A SPECIAL GOURD THAT THE BARANSAMA PEOPLE COVETED. THEY CHASED AFTER HER AND FINALLY CAUGHT UP TO HER IN THE EAST. SHE TRIED FENDING THEM OFF BY GIVING THEM A GOURD, BUT IT WASN'T THE ONE THAT THEY WANTED, AND THE PEOPLE BECAME VERY ANGRY WITH HER. THEY WERE SO ANGRY THAT THEY WANTED TO KILL HER, BUT BEFORE THEY GOT THE CHANCE, SHE HAD CLIMBED UP INTO THE SKY AND BECAME THE PLEIADES.

"TODAY, ROMI KUMU IS REPRESENTED IN RITUAL AS A SPECIAL GOURD WHICH DEPICTS THE SKY; IT IS FILLED WITH BEESWAX. THE GOURD IS CONSIDERED A 'WOMB' AND THE SCENT OF THE BURNING WAX DENOTES FEMALE SEXUALITY. "